No Bible Sunday
13 June 2004 – Peter Brassington: "I don't know how many hard copy Bibles you have at home, but on the web you can find at least 60 versions, and that's just in English..."
Peter spoke after one of the wardens gave a reading from 2 Timothy 3:15-17, in the Tagalog language.No Bible Sunday is a bad idea. But it's a bad idea that has a powerful message.
I don't know how many hard copy Bibles you have at home, but on the web you could probably find at least 60 versions, and that's just in English.
You can access 90 versions at the Bible Gateway website, which includes versions in Albanian, Swahili, Tagalog, Korean, and a whole bunch more languages.
You can watch the Jesus Film online in 62 of the 858 languages that it is currently available in.
You can access Bible notes, study aids, and sermons from respected teachers worldwide.
But when did you last stop to think what you'd do if you didn't have the Bible in a language you could read? I could preach anything and you'd have nothing to check it against.
Millions of people still wait for translated scriptures. And while these people wait, they are cut off from fully understanding God's love and God's ways. Think about it: Evangelism, training, worship – how can you do this without a Bible people can really understand?
Here are some statistics
The complete Bible is available in 414 languages, while another 1,472 have the New Testament.
873 other languages have at least one book of the Bible.
But work still needs to begin in 2,700 languages around the world.
Over 300 million people have nothing – not as much as a "Jesus wept" in their own language.
A pastor in the Democratic Republic of Congo said, "In the past I gave my congregation crumbs from God's Word when I preached in Lingala. Now I preach in our own language, Ngbaka. I can give them a full meal!"
Here's the challenge. If you can read the Bible, do so. And read it regulary.
If you can read the Bible, pray for those who can't. And find out what else you can do to help.
For now, lets reinstate the Bible into our service and read together:
"But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:14-16).
Peter Brassington is webservant for Wycliffe Bible Translators and No Bible Sunday.
